Public Funding for Puraffinity Ltd

Lack of access to clean water is predicted to affect 47% of the world’s population by 2030. Contamination of water supplies by industrial micropollutants such as man-made synthetic compounds like pesticides, pharmaceuticals and high performance chemicals is a major contributor to this lack of clean water. These micropollutants are persistent in the environment and dangerous to human health. A 2016 study found one of these micropollutants, PFOS, to be carcinogenic to kidney and testicles in a population of 32,000 people. These chemicals get into people through water contaminated by industrial wastewater discharge, an urgent unmet water challenge. In a February 2017 lawsuit concerning PFOS discharge affecting 34,000 US citizens, Chemours (Dupont) had to pay $670m in damages. CustoMem tackles this problem by targeted capture of these challenging micropollutants from industrial wastewater. Our sterile, biobased products, are sustainably produced, enable the circular economy by repurposing captured micropollutants into high-value products and are safely disposed of after usage. This project will test our materials for capturing these micropullutants in a field trial.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are \>4700 human-made chemicals, used in broad applications in UK industries (OECD). The UK government (April 2023) published a report on Regulatory Management Options Analysis (RMOA) on PFAS; the launch of the UK REACH programme intended to restrict PFAS, noting that **'there is widespread human and wildlife \[detrimental\] exposure via surface waters and groundwater'**. The looming regulatory landscape requires a step-change in PFAS management in industry to continue operations and maintain competitiveness. Current state-of-the-art for PFAS removal is petroleum-derived ion-exchange and carbon-based granular activated carbon, designed to be single use and ineffective at meeting the more stringent 2023 regulations, **leaving an immediate market gap**. End- of-life fate for these PFAS-laden materials is incineration or landfill, **highlighted in the April 2023 RMOA report as a major environmental exposure route** for PFAS. This holds back the Net Zero journey by requiring additional carbon footprint to manufacture virgin material, dispose of single use material at 1100C incineration and transport large volumes of hazardous waste. **A substantial void exists for a sustainable "cradle-to-grave" PFAS treatment process**, to protect the environment and businesses from future PFAS liabilities. **Puraffinity has developed a predictive materials development engine for sustainable PFAS targeted adsorbent material**. We will develop the next generation of **recyclable** adsorbents in this project using a TRL3-proven step called regeneration, thereby enabling Safe Engineered End of Life and aligning PFAS treatment to the Net Zero journey. **The technology targets industrial sectors that require PFAS water treatment at source**, and additional markets needing PFAS removal. Markets are local and international, focusing on regulated EU and US geographies. The manufacturing sector is valued at $trillions with a CAGR\>10%, making it attractive for technology adoption that facilitate sustainability. It is assumed that the emerging PFAS TAM is roughly $12B, growing at a CAGR\>10% in line with the regulatory landscape. **Puraffinity's experienced multi-disciplinary team will enable successful delivery of this project**. The company projects being able to attain ca. 10% of the PFAS SAM within 7 years (~£600m turnover), utilising channel partners, representing a solid ROI. WP1-3 focus on development, refinement and testing of regenerable materials. WP4 is the commercialisation/exploitation activity, whilst WP5 will ensure the project plan is executed on time and to budget. **Supply of a reusable technology to address imminent environmental regulation will accelerate the Net Zero journey**, promote employment in the UK and de-risk financial liabilities for the industrial sector.

Water quality and scarcity are considered high priority global risks, with recent trends showing that demand is expected to outstrip supply by 40% in 2030 (WEF, 2019; World Bank, 2019). Recently, the emergence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as an acute global water quality challenge has led to unprecedented political and regulatory upheaval. PFAS are humanmade chemicals widely used in the production of non-stick cookware, waterproof textiles and aqueous firefighting foams. As such, they are now ubiquitous in water sources and other environmental locations, posing severe health risks to exposed populations (EWG, 2020). PFAS are linked to thyroid disease, reproductive abnormalities, and many types of cancer, whilst annual exposure-related health costs in the EEA are estimated to have already reached €84bn (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2019). To mitigate exposure risks, new regulations have been applied (across the US, EU and Australia with others to follow), requiring that PFAS are treated to nearly non-detectable levels. This has rendered utilities and manufacturing companies bearing huge liabilities as they are unable to meet treatment requirements, due to a technology gap. Conventional treatment technologies cannot be applied to PFAS effectively, generating a void for innovative solutions focussed on removing PFAS efficiently and cost-effectively. The situation has spurred a wave of litigation, and in 2019 several US states filed class action lawsuits amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, against manufacturers including DuPont, Chemours and 3M. Legal costs in the US alone are estimated to range from $25bn to $40bn. Lawsuits are now being issued elsewhere, such as in Australia, where 40,000 residents of towns exposed to PFAS, from use of firefighting foams, are suing the government in the biggest class action lawsuit in Australian history. Puraffinity, a London-based cleantech start-up company, specialises in the development of materials for environmental applications. Advanced design precision tools are required to be able to employ new surface modification strategies effectively for producing highly optimised adsorbents for dedicated PFAS removal. Puraffinity intends to utilise a novel real-time reaction monitoring analytical method to optimise further its adsorbent materials, which will accelerate the production of a suite of highly selective materials to be demonstrated at scale. Rapidly producing a suite of adsorbents that can be deployed at pace will have significant impacts, among which include: enabling companies to meet regulations and sustain operations, protecting public health, and expanding operations of a UK-based company in high-value global markets.

The recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to protect public health and ensure populations are immune to pathogenic threats. It is well known that exposure to environmental pollution can cause impaired immune-responses, giving rise to the urgent need to mitigate exposure amongst the population. Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a man-made chemical class, comprising above 4700 compounds, widely used in industrial applications, and as such are now ubiquitous in the environment and in water sources, posing severe health risks to exposed populations. They clearly have been linked to thyroid disease, reproductive abnormalities, two types of cancer, and suppressed immuno-responses. Already in 2016, the US National Toxicology Program concluded that PFAS pose "an immune hazard to humans", whilst many studies have found that PFAS exposure impacts the acquired immune system, leading to decreased vaccine effectiveness with higher exposure levels. Annual PFAS exposure-related health costs in the EEA alone are estimated to reach €84 billion (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2019). The importance of reducing exposure to these chemicals is pivotal in being able to promote increased immuno-health in the population, explicitly highlighted in recent EC articles on the PFAS crisis in the Covid-19 context. In an attempt to curb PFAS exposure, a wave of new regulations has swept across the US and EU. Recent revision of the EU Water Framework to include 20 PFAS compounds, documented exposure of at least 110 million people in the US to severe PFAS contamination, coupled with individual state interventions to implement stringent regulations are driving population protection programmes. Conventional water treatment methods cannot treat broad classes of PFAS, due to their exceptional chemical properties and derived stability in aqueous medium - leaving a significant technology market gap. The harsh reality is that public water supplies are not able to offer immediate protection at the scales required for potable water treatment -- creating an urgent market pull for Point of Use (POU) systems designed to treat small volumes at the actual consumption point (i.e. at the kitchen tap). POU treatment is found in households, office buildings, airports, schools, restaurants, cafes, industrial facilities etc, and is a market worth £billions. Currently, only a few POU systems are accredited for PFAS removal (based on the removal of two PFAS compounds only -- PFOS and PFOA) and POU market-leading companies are seeking solutions that will meet newer and more stringent potable water supply regulations, recognizing the market gap can be capitalized on. Puraffinity, a London-based green technology company, develops materials for environmental applications. The technology gap and market urgency has spurred the company to develop dedicated adsorbent materials to remove PFAS from water. The objective of this project is to successfully optimise a suite of adsorbent materials to treat broad spectrum PFAS that can be adapted to a range of POU systems. A successful outcome will have high-value impacts, first and foremost protecting public health and the environment whilst accelerating growth of a UK-based company into a global market leading to significant UK economic benefits.

"Puraffinity is a technology company developing novel materials for water treatment. Our leading product is made by attaching ""molecular receptors"" to solid granules. Molecular receptors are molecules that bind specifically to other target molecules. These granules that have the receptors attached can then be packed into tanks and used to capture the target molecules from a water stream by flowing the water through the tank, like a big Brita (tm) filter. Our leading product captures of compounds called ""PFAS"" which are difficult to remove with current filters and are toxic to humans and the environment. One of the compounds used to make the molecular receptor is complex and variable. It has been hugely challenging to accurately characterize or quantify. To solve this challenge, we have partnered with The National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC, leaders in chemical measurement science. This project will focus on developing two analysis methods for this compound. A highly accurate and detailed method utilizing state of the art equipment at LGC and a second, a rapid detection method to quickly test for the reagent in any lab. These new measurement methods will allow the production process and product quality of the final water treatment material to be improved. This will make the final water treatment product more cost effective and help achieve the necessary certifications it requires to be deployed in a range of water applications."

Nearly half of the world’s population will lack access to sufficiently clean water by 2030 (WHO 2015) and increasingly polluted water sources are a challenge to industry, environment and human life around the world. Persistent, toxic, pollutants such as arsenic and chromium accumulate in water supplies and the toxic anion variants of these heavy metals are difficult to remove with current technology due to their complex chemistries. Present strategies to handle these harmful pollutants via filtering (AOP) or chemical removal are expensive, high energy, and not environmentally friendly. “Adsorbent” materials, that pollutants stick to when water flows over or through them are a promising solution but current adsorbent materials are either too low performance or very expensive. CustoMem are engineering biology to produce biological materials designed at the chemical level to trap these pollutants. This is a sustainable, economically accessible biological solution to a global problem. CustoMem's materials are sterilised before usage and can be responsibly used in existing water treatment infrastructure as a drop in solution.